Cosworth remain a 'stop-gap' for Williams?

The WilliamsF1 team will continue to evaluate its options with regards to engines over the coming season - adding fuel to the rumours that the deal that sees Cosworth power in the new FW28 could be nothing more than a 'stop-gap' for 2006.

The public divorce from BMW during 2005 meant Williams was left without any manufacturer backing for the new season and, while rumours circulated the the team was looking to Toyota for engines, it was Cosworth who were taken on as engine suppliers for 2006 as Toyota were believed to be unable to supply another customer team with a deal already in place with MF1 Racing.

However, rumours persist that a deal with Toyota could yet be on the cards for 2007 and - while he admitted that working with a smaller company like Cosworth was 'easier' for the team than dealing with a big manufacturer like BMW - WilliamsF1 Director of Engineering Patrick Head told Crash.net Radio that the team would continue to look at all possibilities for the future.

"In many ways it is simpler because Cosworth is a small and compact unit, just like Williams - even more small and compact in fact," he said. "But they are very experienced when it comes to producing racing engines and Formula One engines and from everything we have seen we feel they will provide us with a competitive engine through the year.

"Obviously from a team point of view - as is well known - we are paying Cosworth for the engines as they don't send them out for free. However our mechanism for raising money is the same as everyone else in terms of coverage on the car so that isnt a position that can continue into the future. We are looking at all the possibilities for making sure we have a good competitive engine into the future."

With the Scuderia Toro Rosso outfit still running a Cosworth V10 in 2006, albeit with restricted power, Williams is the only team on the grid to use the Cosworth CA2006 V8 engine although Cosworth managing director Tim Routsis said that the plan for the engine supplier was 'for this engine to be in, and remain competitive in, Formula One for a long time to come'.